Crate or box for sheet-metal plates.



E. NORTON. BEATE 0E Box FOB. SHEET METAL PLATES.

APPLXOATIOII FILED 00122, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908 l/vituuwo E. NORTON. CRATE OR BOX run SHEET METAL PLATES.

APYLIUATION nun 00122, 1901:

Patented NOV. 3, 1908.

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EDWIN NORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CRATE OR BOX FOR SHEET-METAL PLATES.

Specification oi? Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed October 22, 1907. Serial No. 398,574.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN NORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates or Boxes for Sheet-Metal Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a crate or box for the reception and shipment of sheet-metal plates, such as tin-plates.

It has been the custom heretofore for manufacturers to pack tin-plate in boxes made of wood. Boxes made of this material for packing tin-plate are objectionable for various reasons, one of which is the additional cost they entail on the tin-plate. Owing to the fact that they are bulky as well as frail in structure, the wood boxes can not be economically returned by the consumer of the tin-plate to the manufacturer as the freight charges would nearly if not quite equal the value of the boxes. The wood boxes therefore, are used only once, and as they are unsuitable for any other use they have no ap reciable value and the cost of the bpx must iie added to the price of the tinp ate.

The crate or box which is the subject of the resent invention, is designed ex ressly for t e packing and shipment of tinate, is so constructed as to admit, after the ox has been emptied, of its parts being nested or acked in compact form, which reduction of ulk lessens the cost of transportation, and renders it economically practicable for the consumer to return to the manufacturer of the tin-plate, the empty boxes which may be used another time.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a bottom per- 5 ipective view of the improved shipping crate.

'g. 2 is a top plan view of the cover. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the cover. Fig. 4 a perspective view of one corner of the frame constituting the cover. Fig. 5 is an end-view of Fig. 6 is a partial cross-section of the crate showing the tinlate therein and also the parts united toget er. Fig. 7 illustrates the manner of nesting a number of the empty receptacles in form for return 5 shi ment to the tin-plate manufacturer.

he shipping crate is preferably made of sheet-metal galvanized and comprises two parts-the receptacle, 1, and cover, 2. The receptacle may be formed by stamping it up by means of (lies. It is rectangular and as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 its upright sides are flaring instead of straight; this flaring shape permits a number of the rece tacles when empty to be set one within tie other and nest for the pur ose of transportation. The flaring or sprea ing of the sides, 3, exists at the interior from the bottom upward; at the bottom the sides have an inturned flan e, 4, which is substantially in a horizontal p ane; at the corners, 5, of tne receptacle these bottom flanges of the sides are united.

The receptacles have outward depressions, slots or recesses, 6, in the sides near their top. These do ressions are at intervals along the sides, an as many may be made in each side as are deemed necessary in the present instance two are in each of the lon sides and one in each of the short sides. he to of the four sides has a horizontal flange w ose outer rim is bent downward and thus forms an outward-turned roll, 7, which adds to the strength of the receptacle and also covers the outward-projecting depressions, 6, and protects them.

The cover, 2, has a shape and size to fit the receptacle, 1. It is a rectangular frame and comprises a horizontal flange, 8, which takes position down within the top of the receptacle, and in operation this flan e, 8, rests upon the up ermost sheet of tinpl ate.

As t e box or crate and its cover are to be used repeatedly it is important that they have the requisite strength and stiflness to withstand the handling they will receive when these two parts are separated. To ive this desired stiffness the cover is rovi ed with an outward-turned roll, 9, whlch will give it individual stiffness; this roll is so constructed as to closely overlap and contact with the like-shaped roll, 7, at the to of the receptacle. The inner side vertica wall of the roll, 9, has one or more slots, 10, in each of its four straight sides; the slots have position flush with the to surface of the flange, 8, as seen in Fig. 4. he slots, 10, in the cover are positioned so as to coincide with the depressions or recesses, 6, in the receptacle. A turn-button, 11, or other locking device, is attached to the top surface of the flange, 8, of the cover. In the present instance the turnbutton is attached by a rivet or pivot-pin; this allows a swiveling motion to the button,

and enables its end to swing through the slot, 10, and project into the depression slot or recess, 6, 1n the side of the receptacle and thus the turn-buttons, 11, lock the cover, 2, in its position upon the receptacle, 1, which contains the tin-plates.

The osition of the cover, 2, when locked upon t e top of the receptacle, 1, is plainly shown in Fig. 6. It will be seen that while the two outward-turned rolls, 7, and, 9, on the receptacle and cover, respectively, have the same form they are made of sizes to exactly admit of the one fittin snugly and closely within the other; thus w en these two rolls are interlocked together, as shown in Fig. 6, the effect is that they reinforce each other and give great strength to the crate or box. When the crate or box is packed full the tinplates, 12, within the receptacle rest upon the inturned flange, 4, at the bottom, and said tin-plates are clamped on top by the flan e, 8, of the cover.

T e crate or box, with the tin-plates packed therein, as in Fig. 6, show the position of all the arts when ready for shipment.

T e crate has a rectangular or other shaped opening at the center of its bottom, and a similar opening at its top.

If desired a sheet of thick packin paper may be laced on the flange, 4, of the ottom before p acing the tin-plates in position, and another sheet of pa er placed u on the to most tin-plate. T ese paper s eets wou d close the center openings and protect the tinplates from dirt.

When the tin-plates have been removed from the receptacle, and a large number of empty crates or boxes have accumulated, the consumer of the tin-plates may return the empties to the tinlate factory for the purpose of being refille with tin-plate. For this reshipment of the empt crates, the receptacles, 1, are now neste or placed one within another, as seen in Fig. 7, and formed into bundles of convenient size.

It will be seen that when nested the depressions, 6, of one receptacle which projects on the outer sides, will rest upon the roll or .flange, 7, at the top of the receptacle next below, and thereby said depressions, 6, serve as stops to )revent the receptacles from wedging toget er tightly. The covers, 2, are also bundled in a similar manner. When packed. in this form the crates may be transpmted at low rates.

It is obvious that certain of the constructions and combinations of parts shown and described, afford useful results and desirable advantages in a crate or box without regard to the sides of the receptacle being flared or not, such features of the invention are therefore not limited to use in a device where the receptacle has flarin sides.

Having thus descri ed myinvention what I claim is,

A crate or box for receiving and shipping sheet-metal plates, comprising a rectangular receptacle having sides which are provided with outward depressions located at intervals; a cover comprisin a rectangular frame open at the center and iavin a surrounding wall rojecting upward and w iich takes posi tion own within the said sides of the receptacle and said upwardprojecting wall having slots at intervals coincident in position with said outward depressions in the receptacle, and movable locking devices which project through said slots and engage said outward de ressions.

n testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN NORTON.

Witnesses:

FREDK. V. HAAS, G. FERDINAND VoeT. 

